From vertigo-inducing slides and waterparks (including the largest waterpark at sea) and decadent afternoon teas to luxurious, marble-floored suites and hybrid, eco-focused ships – cruising is set to wow in 2024 and beyond. The newest ships offer something for all ages and every type of traveller, whether you’re after a quiet holiday or something seriously adrenaline-fuelled.
Click through the gallery to discover a selection of the best new river and ocean vessels to get excited about, launching between now and the end of 2024, plus some 2025 inclusions too...
Never one to do things by halves, Royal Caribbean has created the world's largest cruise ship – at a whopping 1,198 feet (365m), with space for 7,600 passengers on board. Icon of the Seas, the first of the line's Icon-class ships, is due to set sail in January 2024 – and people are excited about it. In fact, when the ship's first sailing went online in October 2022, the cabins sold out in hours. Icon features 20 decks and eight themed neighbourhoods, including Thrill Island, home to the largest waterpark at sea and six record-breaking slides; and Chill Island, which boasts the line's first swim-up bar at sea.
With a pool for every day of the week, including the largest at sea and a suspended infinity pool, as well as more than 40 restaurants, bars and nightclubs, you'll never be bored on board. For more fun, head out on the line's largest ice rink or marvel at the ship's waterfall. For entertainment, visit the AquaDome (pictured), which is perched on top of Icon and hosts aqua shows and theatre by night.
Cabins span 28 categories and include Family Infinite Balcony suites, with a separate bunk alcove for kids, decked out with TVs, beds and chill-out areas (pictured), or to splash the cash, book the three-storey family townhouses. Icon of the Seas will sail year-round, seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean trips from Miami.
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When Sun Princess launches this year she will be Princess Cruises’ largest (and 16th) ship, with room for 4,300 passengers. Currently under construction in Italy, Sea Princess will pay tribute to Europe’s ship-building heritage, with public spaces inspired by Santorini’s famous terraces and the beautiful Piazza found on Princess’s other ships.
Sun Princess will have a staggering 29 restaurants, lounges and bars. We’re predicting the most popular spot will be the three-storey Piazza, with its enormous LED screen and various eating and drinking spots – including the Coffee Currents cafe, a new concept for Princess. There’s also the Dome, a glass dome with an indoor-outdoor pool that transforms into a stage at night and will be the setting for adrenaline-fuelled acrobatic performances.
Sun Princess’s 2,157 total staterooms (including 50 suites and 100 connecting rooms) will include a new cabin category. Passengers who bag one of the new Signature Collection cabins will enjoy luxury amenities and access to the Signature restaurant, as well as the Signature Collection sundeck and lounge. Sun Princess’s inaugural season will focus on the western Mediterranean.
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Although AmaMagdalena will have just 30 staterooms, there’ll be no shortage of space – all will have a twin balcony design, and will measure between 237 and 516 square feet (22sqm and 48sqm respectively). Amenities include the whirlpool (located on the ship’s sundeck) and a large fitness room, while the main restaurant will specialise in Western and Latin American cuisine.
Wondering about the name? It’s a nod to her home turf – Colombia’s Magdalena River. AmaWaterways will become the first major cruise line to offer sailings along this particular river, and they’re expected to be especially popular with wildlife fans, including twitchers keen to see Colombia’s 1,900 bird species (bonus points if you spot a rare Cianeguo hummingbird).
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AmaLilia's 41 staterooms will accommodate 82 guests, and the swankiest cabins include the 13 suites, which have marble bathrooms featuring bathtubs as well as showers, and twin balconies from which to admire the views of the Nile. Africa's longest river will be her home turf, more specifically the stretches which weave past Egypt's the Great Sphinx and the three Pyramids of Giza.
There will be just two restaurants – a main restaurant and Chef's Table, for fine dining. Both will regularly serve up Egyptian delicacies, although it's not the only way in which guests can gain an insight into this beautiful region. The ship's crew will include an Egyptologist, and passengers who don't fancy joining group tours of the archaeological sites lining the Nile can sign up for various exclusive excursions, including private tours of the tomb of Queen Nefertari.
Avalon Waterways' newest ship will have 37 Panorama Suites and 14 staterooms, but don't worry if you don't bag a suite – Avalon Alegria's staterooms will be 30% larger than the ones on other Avalon ships. The vessel has been designed to make the most of the views, with panoramic windows throughout and a sky-deck which includes its very own premium lounges. It's easy to stay connected, too – the ship will use Starlink for lightning-fast wifi. The best bit? It's included in the price.
This particular ship is all about the added extras, whether it's the extra space in the staterooms, the window-facing beds (a rarity on river boats) or the way guests can hire fitness gear from the onboard gym. When it comes to dining, it's all about quality over quantity. Head to the main dining room for delicious buffets or to the Panorama Dining Room for decadent afternoon teas and four-course dinners.
Amadeus Nova will have 12 suites with balconies and 67 exterior cabins with panoramic windows. The most sought-after spots look set to be the Lido Bar on the sun deck, along with the elegant Cafe Vienna for that all-important caffeine fix. She will sail along the Danube, offering cruises between Vienna and Bucharest and Passau and Budapest.
Amadeus Nova will be a seriously sustainable ship, relying on hybrid diesel-electric power and engines which significantly reduce emissions with the help of various hi-tech filters and catalysts. Heat recovery systems use excess heat from the engine room to heat public areas and highly insulated glass minimises heat loss in winter.
Love a fun fact? When the Queen Anne sets sail in 2024, she’ll be the 249th ship to sail under the Cunard flag, and her launch will mark the first time since 1999 that Cunard has had four ships sailing the seas simultaneously. Her 3,000 passengers will stay in cabins spread over 14 decks, and there will be a huge selection of restaurants (15 in total), ranging from Cunard staples such as the Princess Grill to dining concepts being rolled out by Cunard for the first time.
There will be six categories of accommodation and cabins have been designed by Sybille de Margerie, whose portfolio includes Atlantis, The Royal Residences in Dubai. The ship’s piece de resistance will almost certainly be the three-storey lobby, closely followed by the ornate 835-seat Royal Court Theatre. Another reason to love this ship, which will initially sail the waters of Northern Europe? It will be helmed by Inger Klein Thorhauge – Cunard’s first female captain.
Silver Ray will be a sister ship to (and a mirror image of) Silver Nova. Silver Ray will be similarly spacious, with one of the highest space-to-guest ratios of any ship in Silversea's fleet. She'll have a maximum capacity of 728 passengers, and with 544 crew passengers, you can expect to be waited on hand and foot – thanks in part to the cruise line's legendary butler service. The eight restaurants will include several which have become Silversea staples, including S.A.L.T for regional cuisine.
Public areas will include the pool deck, Dusk Bar and Arts Cafe, and further details about onboard amenities will be released prior to her first sailing in June 2024. She'll spend her first few months sailing around the Mediterranean, offering itineraries which take in Athens, Venice and Rome.
Bagging a room with a view won’t be an issue on Viking Vela – every stateroom will have its own veranda. The 499 cabins can accommodate a maximum of 998 guests, and the ship’s restaurants will include Manfredi’s Italian Restaurant, The Chef's Table and the World Cafe. Keep an eye out for the onboard art collection, which includes several paintings by Edvard Munch.
The amenity many passengers will love is the spa, more specifically the snow grotto and thermal area, inspired by Scandinavian bathing rituals. The idea is that passengers alternate between the snow grotto and the sauna (although we totally understand the temptation to stick to the latter!). The ship will specialise in Mediterranean cruises.
There will be just 100 guests on American Liberty, a compact vessel which American Cruise Lines says will offer expedition-style river sailing, thanks to its ability to slip into smaller ports. Every cabin will have a balcony, and it will have one particularly cool amenity – an activity platform at the stern of the boat designed for passengers who fancy a watersports session, or (if the weather allows) a dip in whichever river it's floating down.
American Liberty will spend her inaugural season sailing around New England's islands, a region which has inspired the decor – think homely colour palettes, furnishings and artworks. Impressively, American Cruise Lines currently has five new ships under construction, some of which will offer sailings along the Mississippi and Columbia Rivers.
Porto Mirante will accommodate 120 guests in 60 cabins. Highlights include the sun deck with its splash pool – perfect for those days when the mercury cranks up – and the spacious lounge, with its floor-to-ceiling windows.
The ship will initially stick to the Douro River, offering seven-night sailings which depart and finish in Porto. The sailings are ideal for cruise fans with a dislike of unexpected added extras – the price of every cruise includes transfers, all onboard meals, a superior drinks package, complimentary onboard tea and coffee, plus wifi.
This will be one of the largest ships to launch in 2024, with room for 5,668 passengers. But it’s not the size which sets Utopia apart – there will be several Royal Caribbean firsts, including a Caribbean tiki bar, an immersive dining experience (details of which are yet to be revealed) and the longest dry slide at sea.
Utopia, which will be an Oasis class ship, will initially offer Caribbean sailings, the departure point for which will be Florida. Guests certainly won’t be going hungry – there will be 11 complimentary dining options, including a poolside food truck; as well as 12 speciality restaurants; plus 13 bars where passengers can enjoy a sundowner.
Explora II’s 461 suites will include 371 Ocean Terrace and Ocean Grand Terrace Suites, 22 Ocean Residences and – for those with cash to splash – one truly spectacular Owner’s Residence. Passengers can soak up the views from some of the largest balconies at sea, and all suites will have floor-to-ceiling windows and spacious walk-in wardrobes with seated vanity areas.
Passengers who can drag themselves away from their suites can take a dip in four pools (three are outdoor and one is indoor with a retractable roof) or retreat to one of 64 poolside cabanas. Did we mention the spa, which will cover 27,000 square feet (2,500sqm)? In addition to nine treatment rooms there’ll be a beauty salon and thermal area. Explora II will initially offer Mediterranean itineraries before heading for the Arabian Gulf.
Bigger is definitely better on board when it comes to Estrela, which will have the largest pool of any ship sailing along Portugal’s Douro River, along with a putting green, supersized fitness centre and various areas designed without outdoor exercise in mind. There will be 60 suites and staterooms and the ship will have a maximum capacity of 120 passengers.
Estrela’s sailings will focus on Portugal and APT was keen that its newest ship reflected the destination. They commissioned Portuguese ship builders to construct the vessel and paid homage to the destination in a variety of ways, including via the decor, cuisine and entertainment.
Now for something guaranteed to appeal to younger cruisers. Disney Treasure, the sister ship to Disney Wish, has been designed with explorers in mind, and pays tribute to Walt Disney’s love of travel with decor inspired by wanderlust-inducing Disney movies such as Aladdin and Zootopia. Highlights will include a Marvel-themed dining experience and 1923, a restaurant filled with artwork from Disney’s most famous animated films. The ship's inaugural season will be spent in the eastern and western Caribbean.
The vast majority of the ship’s 1,256 staterooms will offer an ocean view, while 70% will have a veranda. Other highlights will include the Grand Hall, where passengers can meet their favourite Disney characters; the Walt Disney Theatre, which will be the setting for Broadway-quality shows; and the Hero Zone, a fun-filled area where passengers can take part in game show-style competitions and sign up for action-packed physical challenges.
Finally a look ahead into 2025, more specifically at the first newbuild ship being launched by TUI River Cruises. When TUI Alma sets sail next year she’ll have 62 cabins spread over four decks. We’re predicting that the top deck, with its sun lounger-surrounded pool, will be the most popular spot, although we’re also excited about the cuisine – the ship’s restaurants will include one specialising in Portuguese delicacies.
The ship’s first sailings will take place in spring 2025, and Alma will initially be based on Portugal’s Douro River, offering seven-night sailings that start and finish in Porto. The sailings are designed to highlight five specific riverside locations, including Entre-os-Rios, Peso de Regua, Vega de Terron and Barca d’Alva.
Oceania, which will have 613 staterooms and will initially offer itineraries focusing on the eastern Mediterranean, says that Allura will have the most spacious standard staterooms at sea – they’ll cover 291 square feet (27sqm). Space won't be the only thing in abundance – there'll be one chef for every 10 guests, a reminder that Oceania Cruises takes its food very seriously. Details of the restaurants are yet to be revealed, but there will be five in total and every venue will pay tribute to a specific type of cuisine.
Allura will spend her first summer sailing around the Mediterranean (her first sailing will be a seven-day voyage from Athens to Istanbul, departing in early June 2025), before heading to Canada and New England. Her first winter will be spent in the Caribbean, and her launch will bring the total number of ships in Oceania’s fleet to eight.
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